Oil spill responders practice on the water

First responders in a potential oil spill will be out
practicing their skills on Tauranga Harbour this week to
ensure they are ready for any incidents on the water.

The
18 participants in the course are mostly from Bay of Plenty
Regional Council’s operations teams, along with the Port
of Tauranga, Tauranga City Council and private
contractors.

“This is one of the ways we work together
with others to protect and care for the Tauranga Harbour,”
Regional Council Manager, Maritime Operations Reuben Fraser
said.

Mr Fraser said all regional responders were required
to revalidate their qualifications every three years. The
training included reviewing oil spill response options in
Tier 2 events where the Regional Council takes the lead.
This included deploying equipment, as well as practicing
with booms and other gear to ensure they were familiar with
how it is used.

“Regional responders form the first line
of response in regional level or Tier 2 oil spill responses.
They may also be called to assist at the national level
should that be necessary in a Tier 3 response,” he
said.

The course runs over two days, with an exercise on
the water in the Tauranga Harbour on Tuesday deploying some
oil spill response gear, including booms.

“One of our
exercise objectives is practicing boom deployment, setting
them up and anchoring them in a high energy and tidal
environment. There are similarities and learnings from the
various oil spills we’ve had here, such as the recent
spill from the container ship Liloa. It’s particularly
important to protect sensitive inner harbour and estuary
areas by booming them off,” he said.

“Using booms can
be very challenging due to their limitations in strong
currents and tidal conditions. The need to protect sensitive
areas is always going to be a high priority for a Tier 2
event.”

Mr Fraser said it was important to ensure
responders could deal with routine spill awareness and
capability in the
region.

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